An update has just been released for the PlayStation version of “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”, but it was actually quite the small one compared to what other platforms have been getting recently. It mostly contained small bug fixes and optimizations, particularly ones aimed at the game’s network performance. The UI has received a little extra polish as well.
The reason for the delay of the major updates on the PlayStation, according to reports, is that the updates are still pending Sony’s approval and can’t be released for the console yet. The next update scheduled for the PlayStation version of the game is quite a big one, and should implement various changes, some of which were already seen on other platforms, while others are reportedly entirely new.
The update will see the unlocking of the full Royalty Character Loot Set, even more connection optimizations, and refinements to the matchmaking and party systems. Players will also get 15 Master Prestige Ranks, as well as the new Grand Master Prestige, giving them even more levels of progression to aim for. Daily Supply Drop Challenges will be expanded with 15 new ones as well, and players will also no longer face a rare bug where they’re unable to enter the match after joining a game.
A large part of the update will focus on weapon balancing as well, changing the stats of many of the game’s guns. All heavy weapons will let the player move slightly faster now, and the MK14 will have its recoil slightly reduced. The ARX160 will feature a larger magazine, while the AMR9 will not only get more powerful shots, but also quicker bursts. Other weapon changes increase reduced recoil for the SN6, more damage for the KF5 at mid ranges, and more damage for the PDW.
The list goes on, but it’s interesting to note that the only negative balancing change that can be seen in the whole set of changes is the slight reduction of the initial fire rates of the ASM1 – other than that, every affected weapon has been made more powerful in some way. The game was noted for its quite short killing times when it came out, continuing an ongoing trend in the franchise, so it’s peculiar to see that its developers are pushing it even further in that direction.
As it is, most guns in the game only take a few shots to kill, although the increased mobility has somewhat compensated for that. The new changes will obviously make gun fights end more quickly, but it’s not easy to say if this will speed up the gameplay as a whole or make it more slow-paced as players are forced to move more carefully.